This application relates generally to towed antenna systems and methods, and more particularly to systems and methods for communicating data signals to and from underwater craft to and from one or more remote communication systems.
When any underwater vehicle (UV), such as, for example, an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) or a submarine, is submerged under water, it cannot receive a GPS signal from a GPS satellite, and it cannot transmit or receive data signals over the air using radio frequency (RF) or satellite communication techniques. This lack of connectivity to the world above the surface of the water when submerged may significantly impact or constrain UV operations, and ultimately, the mission the UV may perform. Consequently, the ability to transmit and receive data signals may be beneficial to UV operations while a UV is submerged.
Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), which are also known as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), have been in use for some time. In particular, UUVs are known to be used to carry out missions involving intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), mine countermeasures (MCM), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), time critical strike (TCS), inspection and identification, oceanography, oil and gas, payload delivery, and information operations, to name a few. UUVs are autonomous in the sense that, once launched on a mission, they operate according to a preprogrammed mission profile.
UUVs are also known to be formed from a series of interchangeable segments to permit flexibility in adding, subtracting or replacing entire hull segments of the UUV to tailor the UUV to a particular mission. UUVs are further known to have standardized hull diameters of, for example, 9 inches, 12¾ inches, and 21 inches. However, deployable and retrievable towable antenna systems configured for use in connection with a submerged UUV and which are capable of receiving GPS signals and transmitting and receiving RF (e.g., Wi-Fi, cellular, spread spectrum, etc.) and satellite data signals to and from the UUV and to and from aircraft (e.g., fixed wing manned and unmanned aircraft (including unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned combat vehicles), cruise missiles, helicopters, and lighter than air craft such as balloons, etc.), spacecraft, watercraft (e.g., ships, boats, hovercraft, pontoons, buoys, beacons, and relays, etc.), and terrestrial locations are not known to exist aside from the instant disclosure.
Consequently, a towable antenna system of the type herein disclosed, which may be deployable and retrievable from and tethered to a UUV while the UUV is submerged, and which bi-directionally (i.e., transmit and receive simultaneously or sequentially in packets or without packets) communicates to and from the UUV and to and from, for example, air, space, and terrestrial communication systems via, for example, RF and satellite communication systems, as well as have the ability to receive GPS signals via GPS communication systems, may greatly enhance UUV operability and flexibility by permitting the UUV to remain submersed for longer periods than currently known UUV systems. In addition, a UUV having these capabilities and which is coupled with a towed antenna system designed to carry out communication to and from the UUV may be more maneuverable and controllable underwater (e.g., 3 to 5 meters below the surface) than it would be if, for example, the UUV were floating on the surface and subjected to waves and wind. A submerged UUV coupled to a towed antenna system may also minimize visibility of the overall UUV-towed antenna system during clandestine operations while allowing the UUV to continue its mission without having to resurface to obtain, for example, updated GPS position information.